Feathers Flying (Malaysia, Day 1.5)
I love KL. Seriously. Love it! This is one of the easiest cities I
have ever been in. Not only is everything nearby (very walkable), but
it's also incredibly well marked (we're talking big signs with arrows
and walking distances at every corner). And just in case that isn't
enough (are you really surprised that I managed to get lost anyway??),
everyone speaks English and is friendly and helpful and keen to give the
best directions ever. No '3 people' rule here (always ask at least 3
different people for directions to the same place and follow the most
popular opinion, as one emerges...), halleluia!
After writing about yesterday this morning, I made it only as far as the food
stall in the median directly across from the guesthouse gate. It was
not immediately apparent that the thin, old man wrapped in meters of
tattered fabric was actually the proprietor, since a younger man was
sitting prominently in the middle and asked me immediately in English
what they could get for me when I tentatively walked over to see what
they had. The sitting man, a transplanted south-Indian who has been
here for 18 years, was very helpful in walking me through the
(invisible) menu and keeping me in (delectable) tea and eats. He was
also very nice to (continue) chat(ting) with for another hour or so.
The old man has been running the food stall for something like 30 or 40
years. Sometimes he cooks, sometimes his wife does. As fat as he is
thin, she has rolls of brown flesh bulging around the fitted seams of
her sari, and the kind of no-nonsense warmth that many older Indian
women seem to have. She didn't say a word to me, but smiled often,
bustling purposefully through the lunch preparations at his side. Gana,
the man at the table (who it turned out has nothing to do with the
business besides being a loyal patron), said he often admires the two of
them. 'Not like marriages these days, that quit when things don't work
out. This marriage is forever...'.
The tea they serve is sort of an Indian-Thai hybrid, not quite the spicy
chai of the former nor the syrupy-sweet, orange ceylon of the latter,
but rather something in between the two. I didn't manage to follow the
whole process, but I did see that it involved a long sock full of ceylon
powder (as does Thai tea), a succession of cups (for pouring the
steaming liquid between in order to make a tall head of bubbles), and a
large vat of something boiling (milk? water?). And since there was a
crunchy layer of raw sugar crystals undissolved at the bottom of the
chipped glass mug, I assume that at some point in the process extra
ingredients get added. I had two. They were heaven. I could have sat
there and had tea all morning long, and indeed all afternoon and into
the early evening, when the old man closes up. But I didn't. There is
plenty to see in KL, and this was a day for seeing.
(Before I continue with the seeing, however, I haven't mentioned the
absurdly oily little round of deep-fried dough he served, alongside my
tea. It came on its own plate, with a small saucer full of vivid curry
on the side for dipping. Gana suggested I eat it like a steak - cut
into pieces and dredged through the sauce. Which might have worked, had
there been a knife handy. But since there wasn't, instead I tore it
into little pieces with my fingers and then sopped up the sauce that
way. Divine. Truly, truly divine. Just seeing him at the end of his
work day, washing each dented surface meticulously, made my mouth water
in anticipation of tomorrow's breakfast. And I haven't even tried his
specialty yet...spiced lamb!)
It was close to 10 when I finally set out on foot for the twin towers.
Did you know that Petronas is Malaysia's largest oil company, and that
the towers are their headquarters? They tell you all about it during
the freaky 7-minute, 3D promotional video you are forced to watch before
going up to the skybridge on the 41st floor. But since the walk is
free, it seems petty to complain. I didn't actually do the walk itself
until well-passed 4, since they strictly limit the number of people
allowed at any given time. At 10:30 in the morning, that was the
earliest ticket available. Luckily Yoga had warned me about the limits
and the tickets so I was expecting it all and saved myself (and the
volunteers) the lengthy explanations I heard all around me. For the
record, the walk itself is not very interesting despite the pretty view
and historic nature of the bridge (it is the highest walkway in the
world), but the elevator is worth every minute of the wait and the extra
trip you have to take to get the ticket. It goes 3-5 meters per second,
making the 41 storey trip in just under 41 seconds. You can't even
believe how fast it goes. SUPER cool!
Around the base of the towers is a(nother) enormous shopping mall. Even
better than Pavilion, which is the one near here that Yoga and I were at
yesterday. There is a nail shop there that does mud-mani-pedis with
orange sugar scrub massage for about $30 (together), which I am SO
looking forward to. My big plan was to do it this evening after walking
around all day, but somehow I missed the shop on the way out and so will
save it for tomorrow instead. It is beside the bigger, better bookstore
that Yoga told me about, which I spend an hour in this morning without
even scratching the surface. I held in my hands, at various points (not
all at once), about $500 worth of incredible reading and study
material...but limited myself to $10 worth of magazines in the end. I
figured I could think about some of the other items and go back later if
I still want them (especially tempting, 2 sets of Tuttle Korean flash
cards, the same kind as I have Chinese on my bookshelf, which are
fantastic, the 3 sets of Chinese Tuttle flashcards that precede the set
4 that I have, a one-a-day chinese character calendar, and a cook book
entitled 'What Einstein told his Cook'...).
Not to make this totally non-chronological account more confusing than
necessary, but thanks to a toilet emergency that began during my
afternoon wanders not yet described, I ended up using the ridiculously
expensive 'premier toilets' on the 1st floor of the mall. There are
free toilets on the other floors, but circumstances being what they were
I felt it urgent not to wander around more than necessary. 2 ringgit.
Did I say ridiculously expensive? I take it back. I should pay to use
toilets ALL the time. Aside from having the whole immaculate place to
myself, including the helpful services of the bathroom concierge, the
main perks were the large basket full of Body Shop products free for the
using. Probably not so useful in the dead of winter (the only thing
that stopped me from going out and buying a bottle immediately), the
Vitamin C face spritz was phenomenally refreshing (and SPF!). Worth the
2 RM all on its own.
Out of the mall and on with details of the rest of the day.
From KLCC (the train station beneath the towers), it's a quick trip on
the subway back to Sentral, where I started from yesterday. From there
it's supposed to be 1.4 km on foot to the bird park - assuming you don't
get lost, tour around the national museum, the national mosque, the
memorial to somebody important whose name I don't remember and whose
sacrifice I never knew, the planetarium, a jogging park, and a deer park
first. All good things to see, at noon, when the sun is its hottest. I
finally begged for directions from the friendly guards at the national
police museum, who took pity on me, grabbed a spare police helmet from
the back of the guard post, and rode me over to the park gate on one of
their police motorcycles. Whenever we took a sharp turn I didn't know
where to put my hands, since the driver had live firearms strapped to
both of his sides where amateur passengers usually hold on. Fun!
The bird park was amazing. Easily one of the coolest things I've done
anywhere. I am still practically quivering with delight. I hesitated
at the 39RM entrance fee, not knowing anything about the park, but am SO
glad I went in. It's like a huge zoo, but only for birds. And most of
those in the 'wild' around you. The vegetation is lush and totally
natural, the walk through the 4 different zones picturesque and
refreshing, and the birds...WOW! I could write an entire message about
the way the sun refracts off of a peacock's tail, the surreal
double-bills of the myriad Malaysian horn-bill species flying freely
about (one nearly took my head off when it decided to fly over just as I
stood up from taking a picture of a fuzzy-headed pigeon strutting by...
scary!), the vivid ruby plumage of a scarlet ibis, the massive bulk of a
great-white pelican...but honestly it all pales compared to the utter
joy of having a dozen sparkling, shrieking parrots fighting for
sunflower seeds and bits of apple in my hands and up and down my arms.
And of the big blue horn-bill I got to hold for a picture...which I'll
send along later. Awesome!!
And now it's 8:20, only 12 hours after my last message though it seems
like a lifetime. Time to curl up with one of my new magazines and the
big bag of fresh rambutan I bought down the road on my way back to the
guesthouse. Yoga may or may not be here soon. Looking
forward to Little India and the National Textile museum tomorrow, not to
mention more of that excellent tea and that mud mani-pedi. Heaven! Seriously, I love Malaysia!!
have ever been in. Not only is everything nearby (very walkable), but
it's also incredibly well marked (we're talking big signs with arrows
and walking distances at every corner). And just in case that isn't
enough (are you really surprised that I managed to get lost anyway??),
everyone speaks English and is friendly and helpful and keen to give the
best directions ever. No '3 people' rule here (always ask at least 3
different people for directions to the same place and follow the most
popular opinion, as one emerges...), halleluia!
After writing about yesterday this morning, I made it only as far as the food
stall in the median directly across from the guesthouse gate. It was
not immediately apparent that the thin, old man wrapped in meters of
tattered fabric was actually the proprietor, since a younger man was
sitting prominently in the middle and asked me immediately in English
what they could get for me when I tentatively walked over to see what
they had. The sitting man, a transplanted south-Indian who has been
here for 18 years, was very helpful in walking me through the
(invisible) menu and keeping me in (delectable) tea and eats. He was
also very nice to (continue) chat(ting) with for another hour or so.
The old man has been running the food stall for something like 30 or 40
years. Sometimes he cooks, sometimes his wife does. As fat as he is
thin, she has rolls of brown flesh bulging around the fitted seams of
her sari, and the kind of no-nonsense warmth that many older Indian
women seem to have. She didn't say a word to me, but smiled often,
bustling purposefully through the lunch preparations at his side. Gana,
the man at the table (who it turned out has nothing to do with the
business besides being a loyal patron), said he often admires the two of
them. 'Not like marriages these days, that quit when things don't work
out. This marriage is forever...'.
The tea they serve is sort of an Indian-Thai hybrid, not quite the spicy
chai of the former nor the syrupy-sweet, orange ceylon of the latter,
but rather something in between the two. I didn't manage to follow the
whole process, but I did see that it involved a long sock full of ceylon
powder (as does Thai tea), a succession of cups (for pouring the
steaming liquid between in order to make a tall head of bubbles), and a
large vat of something boiling (milk? water?). And since there was a
crunchy layer of raw sugar crystals undissolved at the bottom of the
chipped glass mug, I assume that at some point in the process extra
ingredients get added. I had two. They were heaven. I could have sat
there and had tea all morning long, and indeed all afternoon and into
the early evening, when the old man closes up. But I didn't. There is
plenty to see in KL, and this was a day for seeing.
(Before I continue with the seeing, however, I haven't mentioned the
absurdly oily little round of deep-fried dough he served, alongside my
tea. It came on its own plate, with a small saucer full of vivid curry
on the side for dipping. Gana suggested I eat it like a steak - cut
into pieces and dredged through the sauce. Which might have worked, had
there been a knife handy. But since there wasn't, instead I tore it
into little pieces with my fingers and then sopped up the sauce that
way. Divine. Truly, truly divine. Just seeing him at the end of his
work day, washing each dented surface meticulously, made my mouth water
in anticipation of tomorrow's breakfast. And I haven't even tried his
specialty yet...spiced lamb!)
It was close to 10 when I finally set out on foot for the twin towers.
Did you know that Petronas is Malaysia's largest oil company, and that
the towers are their headquarters? They tell you all about it during
the freaky 7-minute, 3D promotional video you are forced to watch before
going up to the skybridge on the 41st floor. But since the walk is
free, it seems petty to complain. I didn't actually do the walk itself
until well-passed 4, since they strictly limit the number of people
allowed at any given time. At 10:30 in the morning, that was the
earliest ticket available. Luckily Yoga had warned me about the limits
and the tickets so I was expecting it all and saved myself (and the
volunteers) the lengthy explanations I heard all around me. For the
record, the walk itself is not very interesting despite the pretty view
and historic nature of the bridge (it is the highest walkway in the
world), but the elevator is worth every minute of the wait and the extra
trip you have to take to get the ticket. It goes 3-5 meters per second,
making the 41 storey trip in just under 41 seconds. You can't even
believe how fast it goes. SUPER cool!
Around the base of the towers is a(nother) enormous shopping mall. Even
better than Pavilion, which is the one near here that Yoga and I were at
yesterday. There is a nail shop there that does mud-mani-pedis with
orange sugar scrub massage for about $30 (together), which I am SO
looking forward to. My big plan was to do it this evening after walking
around all day, but somehow I missed the shop on the way out and so will
save it for tomorrow instead. It is beside the bigger, better bookstore
that Yoga told me about, which I spend an hour in this morning without
even scratching the surface. I held in my hands, at various points (not
all at once), about $500 worth of incredible reading and study
material...but limited myself to $10 worth of magazines in the end. I
figured I could think about some of the other items and go back later if
I still want them (especially tempting, 2 sets of Tuttle Korean flash
cards, the same kind as I have Chinese on my bookshelf, which are
fantastic, the 3 sets of Chinese Tuttle flashcards that precede the set
4 that I have, a one-a-day chinese character calendar, and a cook book
entitled 'What Einstein told his Cook'...).
Not to make this totally non-chronological account more confusing than
necessary, but thanks to a toilet emergency that began during my
afternoon wanders not yet described, I ended up using the ridiculously
expensive 'premier toilets' on the 1st floor of the mall. There are
free toilets on the other floors, but circumstances being what they were
I felt it urgent not to wander around more than necessary. 2 ringgit.
Did I say ridiculously expensive? I take it back. I should pay to use
toilets ALL the time. Aside from having the whole immaculate place to
myself, including the helpful services of the bathroom concierge, the
main perks were the large basket full of Body Shop products free for the
using. Probably not so useful in the dead of winter (the only thing
that stopped me from going out and buying a bottle immediately), the
Vitamin C face spritz was phenomenally refreshing (and SPF!). Worth the
2 RM all on its own.
Out of the mall and on with details of the rest of the day.
From KLCC (the train station beneath the towers), it's a quick trip on
the subway back to Sentral, where I started from yesterday. From there
it's supposed to be 1.4 km on foot to the bird park - assuming you don't
get lost, tour around the national museum, the national mosque, the
memorial to somebody important whose name I don't remember and whose
sacrifice I never knew, the planetarium, a jogging park, and a deer park
first. All good things to see, at noon, when the sun is its hottest. I
finally begged for directions from the friendly guards at the national
police museum, who took pity on me, grabbed a spare police helmet from
the back of the guard post, and rode me over to the park gate on one of
their police motorcycles. Whenever we took a sharp turn I didn't know
where to put my hands, since the driver had live firearms strapped to
both of his sides where amateur passengers usually hold on. Fun!
The bird park was amazing. Easily one of the coolest things I've done
anywhere. I am still practically quivering with delight. I hesitated
at the 39RM entrance fee, not knowing anything about the park, but am SO
glad I went in. It's like a huge zoo, but only for birds. And most of
those in the 'wild' around you. The vegetation is lush and totally
natural, the walk through the 4 different zones picturesque and
refreshing, and the birds...WOW! I could write an entire message about
the way the sun refracts off of a peacock's tail, the surreal
double-bills of the myriad Malaysian horn-bill species flying freely
about (one nearly took my head off when it decided to fly over just as I
stood up from taking a picture of a fuzzy-headed pigeon strutting by...
scary!), the vivid ruby plumage of a scarlet ibis, the massive bulk of a
great-white pelican...but honestly it all pales compared to the utter
joy of having a dozen sparkling, shrieking parrots fighting for
sunflower seeds and bits of apple in my hands and up and down my arms.
And of the big blue horn-bill I got to hold for a picture...which I'll
send along later. Awesome!!
And now it's 8:20, only 12 hours after my last message though it seems
like a lifetime. Time to curl up with one of my new magazines and the
big bag of fresh rambutan I bought down the road on my way back to the
guesthouse. Yoga may or may not be here soon. Looking
forward to Little India and the National Textile museum tomorrow, not to
mention more of that excellent tea and that mud mani-pedi. Heaven! Seriously, I love Malaysia!!
posted by Roberta | 9:27 PM
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